Responding to new research from Chance UK which shows that only 1 in 10 children excluded at primary school don't pass GCSE maths and English, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Schools work hard to help children secure support when they face challenges in their lives which can impact their behaviour, wellbeing, and academic attainment - but they cannot resolve these complex issues alone.

“Suspensions and exclusions are used only as a last resort in order ensure the safety of all pupils and staff, and exam grades can obviously be influenced by a range of complex issues and are rarely a result one factor alone.

“The most significant issue schools face is that government underfunding of vital services like social care, children’s mental health and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities mean that when they seek help for children and families it is now incredibly difficult to access or, in many cases, simply unavailable.

“We need to see far more government investment in essential support services so that children get early help before problems spiral and become harder to solve."